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Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983, in San Diego, California), is a starting left handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. Hamels attended Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California, and was drafted in the first round of the 2002 baseball draft by the Phillies.

As with many Phillies players who have played near the end of Veterans Stadium before its destruction and almost all Phan Phavorites at Citizens Bank Park, Hamels has a fan club known as Hamels Camels

He pitched in the Phillies minor league system starting in 2003, beginning at single A Lakewood. Later that season, he was promoted to advanced A Clearwater. However, Hamels was plagued by injuries the next two seasons, pitching only sparingly. He missed most of the 2004 season with an elbow injury. In 2005, he broke his pitching hand in a bar fight before the season began, and once he recovered, then hurt his back, and was shut down for the rest of the season. In 2006, a healthy Hamels started again at Clearwater, and then was sent to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where in just three games, he struck out 36 batters while giving up only one walk and one run. His minor league totals were 14-4, with 273 strikeouts in 35 games pitched.

Hamels was called up to the Phillies in May 2006. In his MLB debut on May 12, 2006 in which he pitched five scoreless innings while allowing only one hit striking out seven, but he did walk five batters. Hamels earned a no decision against the Cincinnati Reds after fellow pitcher Ryan Madson, who Cole had replaced and sent to the bullpen, gave up a 2 run lead in relief of Hamels. In his second career start, Hamels was generally dominant until the seventh inning, in which he was pulled after he allowed several baserunners. Hamels did not get the loss however, as it was Madson's sole earned run of the game was the go-ahead run. A shoulder injury scratched Hamels from the lineup of what would have originally been his third major league start. He was put on the 15 day disabled list and returned on June 6 to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10 - 1, for his first Major League victory. Hamels struck out 12, a career high, but allowed seven runs in five innnings in the 10-8 loss to the Atlanta Braves on July 24, 2006. He matched his career high on August 3, 2006 while allowing only one run over seven innings in the 8-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. On August 14, 2006, Hamels had his best start to date, shutting out the New York Mets over eight innings and striking out nine in the 13-0 victory.

• Hamels is married to Playboy model and former Survivor contestant Heidi Strobel. [1]

• Phenom Hamels to be called up to Phils
• Cole Hamels Facts
• Cole Hamels slide show